Combination-ladder.



W. l. WALTERS,

COMBINATIONLADDER. APPucmou mm on. 9. 191a.

Patenwd Oct. 30, 1917.

. WILLIAM J. VVALJZIEIRS, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

GOMBINA'I ION-LADDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented.- Oct. 30, 1917.

Application filed October 9, 1916'. Serial No. 124,489.

To all whom it may concern. 7 Be it known that LWVILLIAM J. WAL'rnns,

a citizen of the United States of America,

residing at Detroit, in the county of 'lVayne and, State of Michigan,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Combination-Ladders,of which the following is a specification, reference being had thereinto the accompanying drawings.

To combine an extension ladder, step ladder, and a trestle, is theobject of, my invention and the same is accomplished a simple, durableand inexpensive construction possessingconsiderable rigidity, light inweight without sacrificing strength, andeasy to foldand manipulate. r

A detail construction of the ladder will be hereinafter specificallydescribed and then claimed, and reference will now behad to the drawing,wherein- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the ladder in an extendedposition;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of the same;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the article as a step ladder;

Fig. A is a side elevation of the ladder folded;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the folded ladder.

The ladder is composed of an intermediate section generally designated Aand end sections generally designated C and D, said sections beingarticulated to fold one within the other as shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6.

The intermediate section A comprises side rails 1 and connecting theserails are transverse tread members 2 and a flat round or tread member 8.The rails 1, at one end of the section A are reduced to provideapertured ears 4 and pivotally connected to the apertured ears 4 bybolts 501' other pivotal means are the side rails. 6 of the end sectionsC. The side rails 6 are connected by transverse fiat rounds or treadmembers 7, and adjacent the pivoted ends of the rails 6 is a pivotedshelf 8 having arms 9 adapted for engagement with the edges of the rails1 so that the shelf will be maintained in a horizontal position when theladder is used as a small step ladder as shown in Fig. 3. The shelf ispivoted so that it may swing in between the rails 6 and occupy aposition in a plane of said rails, particularly when the ladder isfolded.

The section B comprises parallel rails 10 having the ends thereofpivotally connected to the inner sides of the rails 1, as at 11,

. so that the end section'B'may be swung upwardly between the rails 1and permit of the rails 6 of the section B being swung into parallelregistration with the outer sides of the rails 1 c The rails 10 of thesection B are connected by flat rounds or tread members 12 and saidrails are notched, as at13, to engage the edge of one of the flat roundsor tread members 7 of the section C in order that the sections A, B andC may be maintained as a small step ladder shown in Fig. 3. The rails 10are furthermore notched, as at 14, to provide clearance for Y certain ofthe fiat rounds or tread members 7 of the section C, and in order thatthe secti'onsB' can be swung into the section A, the tread pieces 2 ofthe section, A are cut away at the ends thereof, as at 15, to provideclearance for the rails 10 of the section B. With the flat rounds ortread members 7 of'the section C at the edges of the rails 6 of saidsection, there is sufiicient clear' ance for the rails 10f the sectionA, when the ladder is folded, as shown in Figs. 4:, 5 and '6. Theintermediate section A, adjacent the reduced ends of the rails thereof,has latch members 16, and these latch members have offset portionsadapted to extend on to the ends of the rails 6 of the section C tomaintain said rails in longitudinal alinement with the rails 1 of thesection B. Similar latch members 17 are pivoted upon the ends of therails 10 of the section B, so thatsaid latch members may be swung on tothe ends of the rails 1 of the section A to maintain the section B inlongitudinal alinement therewith. The latch members are clearly shown inFigs. 1 and 2 as maintaining the sections A, B and C in longitudinalalinement to form an extension ladder, and these latches do notinterfere with the ladder formation shown in Figs. 3 or 4.

The ladder in its entirety is made of light and durable wood and at suchplaces where the rail sections A, B and C are notched, or provided withlatches and tread members, it is preferable to reinforce the woodenrails by metallic straps or wear plates 18, which are best shown in Fig.2 of the drawings. In this same figure the latches 16 and 17 are shownas preventing the sections C and B from being folded in one direction,and it will be noted that the fiat rounds or tread members of thesections A and C are in proximity to the reduced ends of the sections Aand B respectively and therefore prevent the sections B and C from beingfolded in the opposite direction. The latch members therefore cooperatewith the re- 7 duced ends and rounds of certain sections in maintainingall of the sections in longitudinal alinement as an extension ladder.

l/Vhile the combination ladder may be advantageously used as a householdarticle, yet it may be conveniently used by window washers and othersrequiring a light portable ladder. It is thought that the manner offolding the ladder will be apparent without further description, andwhile in the drawing there is illustrated a preferred embodiment ofmy-invention it is to be understood that the structural elements aresusceptible to such variations and modifications as fall within thescope of the appended claim. i

' hat I claim is A foldable ladder comprising a section A having siderails connected by tread members and some of said tread members notchedadjacent the side rails; a section C having side rails connected bytread members and ends of said side rails pivotally connected to theouter sides of the rails of the section A, with the rails of the sectionA cutaway to provide clearance for a tread member of the section. C, sothat said section maybe swunginto alinement with the section A,

latch members pivoted on the edges of the rails of section A adapted tobe swung on to the rails of the section G to hold said sections inalinement; a section 13 having rails connected by tread pieces and endsof said rails pivotally connected to inner sides of the rails of sectionA so that the rails of the section B may be swung into the notched treadmembers of the section A, the rails of section B having notches withsome of said notches providing clearance for tread pieces of section Cwhen the lad ler is folded,

other notches adapted to receive a tread piece of section G to maintainsection A at an angle to section C, and still other notches adapted toprovide clearance for a tread piece of section Awhen section B is swunginto longitudinal alinement therewit-ln latch members on the rails ofsectionB. adapted to be swung on to therails of section A to maintainsaid sections in alinement; a pivoted shelf between the rails of sectionC adjacent the section A adapted to occupy a po-v sition between saidrails, the end of section B and an endtread member of section C and adaJted when oven to en 'a e the rails of section A and be maintained in ahorizontal position thereby; and metallic wear plates on notchedportions of section B and at tread pieces of all of said sections.

In testimony whereof I afiiX mysignature in the presence of twowitnesses.

WILLlAhLl J. WALTERSL Witnesses KARL H. BUTLER, ANNA M Donn.

Copies of thispatent may be obtained for'five cents each, by addressingthe Gommissioner of Patents,

" Washington, D. E. i

